Herschend researcher keeps eye on Branson tourism

http://www.sbj.net/article.asp?aID=82216 Jerry Henry, corporate director of research for Herschend Family Entertainment Corp., was the featured guest at Springfield Business Journal's monthly 12 People You Need to Know breakfast on Tuesday. By Dee Dee Jacobs Springfield Business Journal Staff 9/16/2008 11:40:03 AM When Jerry Henry is asked how many people are visiting Branson, his answer is simple: "I don't care." The corporate director of research for Herschend Family Entertainment Corp. – the parent company of Silver Dollar City – is more interested in how visitor numbers are changing over time, and whether visitor demographics are trending in new directions. "I care a lot that we're down 4.7 percent (in visitors this year, as of July)," Henry says. "That matters a heck of a lot." Henry was the featured guest Tuesday morning at Springfield Business Journal's monthly 12 People You Need to Know breakfast at the Clarion Hotel's Newsroom Café. Henry oversees market research for Herschend's 20 properties across the country. Through phone and e-mail surveys, focus groups and other methods, mountains of data are collected that Henry then analyzes. "That's the fun part," he said. "The analysis is where the rubber hits the road, because data in a vacuum doesn't mean anything." That data is showing both short-view and long-view changes in Branson tourism, Henry said. This year through July, visitor numbers were down 4.7 percent and will likely close out 2008 near that figure, he said. Henry attributes the decline to record rainfall, the misconception that Branson was under floodwaters this spring like other parts of the Midwest, and the effects of a sluggish economy on consumers. The drop in visitors is historic, Henry said, but it's not long-term. Branson visitors are changing at a deeper level, too. In the past, the average visitors were in their late 50s and came to Branson primarily for its shows. Now, visitors are averaging 53 years old, and their trip agendas are much more balanced, due to attractions such as Branson Landing, he said. More visitors also are hailing from a 300-mile region around Branson, rather than outside that radius. "That (regional) base has helped prop us up" during the current economic conditions, Henry said. Average length of stay in Branson also is on the climb, with visitors staying five or six nights – a result of the economy, which is pushing people to dump their regular yearly trips to places like Orlando and visit Branson instead, according to Henry. As for the future, Henry expects the upcoming Branson Airport to position Branson for growth, particularly among baby boomer visitors who he says are more inclined to fly than drive long distances. -- http://www.bransonedge.com http://www.bransonmissouri.blogspot.com